{"id":3503,"date":"2025-04-29T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/?p=3503"},"modified":"2025-04-29T21:00:04","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T20:00:04","slug":"april-28th-time-to-guard-children-against-witches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/april-28th-time-to-guard-children-against-witches\/","title":{"rendered":"Time to guard children against witches April 29th"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Witches From ‘T<\/em>he Wonderful Discoveries of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Phillip Flower’, London, 1618<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As May Eve approached, which like Halloween, was considered a particularly uncanny time, people were warned to guard against witches stealing their babies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He (the Devil) teacheth the witches to make ointments of the bowels and members of children, whereby they ride in the air and accomplish all their desires. So as, if they be any children unbaptized, or not guarded with the sign of the cross or orisons: then the witches may and do catch them from their mother’s side at night, or out of their cradles. \u2026. and after burial steal them out of the graves, then seethe them in a cauldron until their flesh been made possible.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reginald Scott ‘The Discovery of Witchcraft’ 1594 (from ‘The perpetual Almanack of Folklore’ by Charles Kightley). Please note that Reginald Scott’s book was actually against the idea of witchcraft, i.e. he was debunking it. (for more on Reginald Scott read my post here<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping Witches away<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ways to keep witches away were various, but baptising your children early was the best method. As you will have seen in previous posts<\/a>, children were normally baptised as soon as possible. Normally, three days after birth in the early modern period.) There were various ways of protecting against witches including saying prayers (orisons), hanging garlic, bread, rowan-leaves, around the cradle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Witch marks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In archaeological surveys of timber framed buildings increasing numbers of reports of ‘witches’ marks have been discovered. They are now so ubiquitous that it seems most people felt the need to deploy them to secure their houses. Or was it the Carpenters and Builders who felt the need to protect their work? It was believed that witches gained entry where there was an inlet of wind. So doors, windows, chimneys, and anywhere there was a draft. These would be marked by pentagons, which represent the five wounds of Christ. Also used were a variety of other marks ‘chequerboards, mesh patterns, peltas (a type of knot work design) and circle’. https:\/\/theartssociety.org\/arts-news-features\/ancient-symbols-once-used-ward-away-witches<\/a> is an excellent read and gives more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also this article makes the case that they are not specifically anti-witch marks, but general marks to ward off evil.<\/a> This is worth reading. The illustration below comes from the article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tam O’Shanter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Robert Burns poem ‘Tam O’Shanter’ gives a graphic, fictional, account of a witches’ coven presided over by the Devil (auld Nick) himself which features ‘wee, unchristen\u2019d bairns<\/em>‘. Tam, drunk, has come upon a witches coven, presided over by the devil himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, vow! Tam saw an unco sight!
Warlocks and witches in a dance;
Nae cotillion brent new frae France,
But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, and reels,
Put life and mettle in their heels.
A winnock-bunker in the east,
There sat auld Nick, in shape o\u2019 beast;
A towzie tyke, black, grim, and large,
To gie them music was his charge:
He screw\u2019d the pipes and gart them skirl,
Till roof and rafters a\u2019 did dirl.\u2014
Coffins stood round, like open presses,
That shaw\u2019d the dead in their last dresses;
And by some devilish cantraip slight
Each in its cauld hand held a light.\u2014
By which heroic Tam was able
To note upon the haly table,
A murderer\u2019s banes in gibbet airns;
Twa span-lang, wee, unchristen\u2019d bairns;
A thief, new-cutted frae a rape,
Wi\u2019 his last gasp his gab did gape;
Five tomahawks, wi\u2019 blude red-rusted;
Five scymitars, wi\u2019 murder crusted;
A garter, which a babe had strangled;
A knife, a father\u2019s throat had mangled,
Whom his ain son o\u2019 life bereft,
The grey hairs yet stack to the heft;
Wi\u2019 mair o\u2019 horrible and awefu\u2019,
Which even to name wad be unlawfu\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I talked more about Tam O’Shanter and the Cutty Sark here<\/a> and to read the whole poem see below. Please do have a look and when you read it read it quick. Loud and don’t worry about how to pronounce it or understand it, just enjoy the ride!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tam o\u2019 Shanter<\/a><\/blockquote>